Noise Cancelling Headsets

[Swass]

I was just thinking about my good buddy Avbug's (if I remember correctly) theory on noise cancelling headsets. He seemed to theorize that the correction done by the soundwaves due to the headset (opposing frequencies) would do as much damage to your hearing as the noise itself, even though you can't hear it.

What research if any has been done? His theory sounds legit to me. What are your thoughts?

 

[lowslow]

I would say the theory is a bunch of phoey. It's called destructive interference, where one cancels out the other. In other words, eh, no.

 

[five-alive]

I was just thinking about my good buddy Avbug's (if I remember correctly) theory on noise cancelling headsets. He seemed to theorize that the correction done by the soundwaves due to the headset (opposing frequencies) would do as much damage to your hearing as the noise itself, even though you can't hear it.

What research if any has been done? His theory sounds legit to me. What are your thoughts?

Yep, phooey. Loud noise damages your hearing. No loudness, no damage. That is why it is called cancelling, by themselves they would do damage but they cancel each other.

 

[Mr Wu]

He also said that polarized sunglasses damage your eyesight twice as much as non-polarized ones.

 

[DoinTime]

Damage to your hearing is caused by presure waves (noise) impacting your ear drum. Noise cancelling equiptment generates a presure wave that is 180 degrees out of phase with the ambient noise. The end result is no presure wave and no noise.

Never take Avbugs advise when it pertains to physiology.

 

[DaveJ]

Good use for ANC headsheets for MEIs

I just found another good reason for ANC headsets. I was flying with a new multi-engine pilot last month while wearing my David Clarks. He was having a heck of a time getting the props synchronized and the thrumming sound was driving me crazy, so I synchronized the props for him to keep my sanity.

Last night, I flew with him again, this time wearing my Telex ANC headsets. I was amazed about how well and quickly he was synchronizing the props and was pleased about the progress he had made. After thinking about this for awhile, I realized that I was wearing the ANC headsets and thought maybe that explained the improvment, so I turned off the ANC. Sure enough, the props were not synchronized, but the ANC had totally cancelled the thrumming sound. I quickly reengaged the ANC and enjoyed the rest of the flight thrumming sound free.

 

[Mr Wu]

Anybody that wants to get ANR but doesn't want to pay $700+ should check out Gulf Coast Avionics. They have a pretty good set for around $230. Use shipping code 1000 for free shipping. Only setback is they use 9V batteries.



http://www.gulf-coast-avionics.com/detail.asp?id=5586

 

[MauleSkinner]

Damage to your hearing is caused by presure waves (noise) impacting your ear drum. Noise cancelling equiptment generates a presure wave that is 180 degrees out of phase with the ambient noise. The end result is no presure wave and no noise.

Put your ANR's on in a quiet room, noise cancelling off. Turn on the noise cancelling. You'll feel some pressure in your ears...that's NOT "no pres(s)ure wave and no noise".

I'm not going to say that you'll go deaf from it, but I personally notice more fatigue at the end of a long flying day with ANR's than I do with really good noise attenuating headsets.

Fly safe!

David

 

[Whiskey Tango]

This thread is crazy.

I'm not going to say that you'll go deaf from it, but I personally notice more fatigue at the end of a long flying day with ANR's than I do with really good noise attenuating headsets.

And do you descend back down to your cruise alt to get the plane on the step to go faster?

Where does this craziness come from?

 

[MauleSkinner]

This thread is crazy.


Where does this craziness come from?

Apparently, some people care about their hearing and how best to maintain it over the long term.

Fly safe!

David

 

[Moonfly201]

I'm not going to say that you'll go deaf from it, but I personally notice more fatigue at the end of a long flying day with ANR's than I do with really good noise attenuating headsets.

Maybe you have the wrong ANR headset. Or possibly you're sticking eyeglass frames through the sides breaking the seal or applying pressure to the side of your skull.

I routinely fly 8 to 12 hour days in an average noise producing single using a Bose X headset, and also pipe-in XM stereo music and talk radio during of these long trips, adding extra noise. I find no fatigue or pain, other than my butt gets sore and the bottoms of my thighs feel numb and "vibroed" for a couple of hours after landing.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Maybe you have the wrong ANR headset. Or possibly you're sticking eyeglass frames through the sides breaking the seal or applying pressure to the side of your skull.

Or maybe I have the right non-ANR headset

yes, I wear glasses, so that probably makes a difference, and I fly some extremely noisy airplanes.

It also brings up another interesting point that I thought I'd pass along...one of my training clients wears behind-the-ear hearing aids...ANR's don't work for him, either, since they're not cancelling the noise where his hearing aids pick it up.

Fly safe!

David